Away From Nothing
by rainonmonday
Summary: AU. Zoe thought her life was quite good, even if she didn't get the internship she wanted, and her relationship seemed to be on the rocks. A trip was just what she needed. Time to clear her mind and reconnect with her boyfriend. She will soon discover BlueBell doesn't work like that, and maybe things will change in many different ways.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. Here's a new multi-chapter story that will be a bit different from everything Zade related I've written. Here we'll start with the characters at about the same age the show started, but the circumstances will be different. Firstly, Zoe is not Harley's daughter and she'll arrive to BlueBell because different reasons. Secondly... you will be surprise. Hopefully. It'll start slow, but hopefully next chapter will be longer according to my plans.**

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><p><em><strong>Away From Nothing<strong>_

_**- 1/? -**_

"So what do you think?"

Zoe looked up from the rapidly cooling risotto on her plate to her boyfriend. She had to place a tight and awkward smile on her face. It took all her might to look sincerely excited at the proposition George was making. After all, he had made an effort by consulting her first. And they were at _Per Se_ having dinner – their favorite restaurant had to mean something, right?

"Just a visit?" she asked meekly, suppressing a sigh and a roll of her eyes.

Back when they had met – almost a year and a half before – she loved how well-mannered and genuinely nice George was. She immediately knew he wasn't a born-and-raised New Yorker, even if he managed to go around the city without many problems. He did confessed he had been robbed twice by some _sweet_ old ladies who took advantage of his gentlemanly ways, but it was part of the charm. Obviously, she didn't believe all Southern boys were like him, but he blamed it all on the quaint little town he came from and its people. Such town was BlueBell, and he was currently trying to convince her to go there and meet his family and friends.

His smile grew wider, and she wondered if his cheeks were already hurting.

"A few days. I'm sure you'll love it. And, well we do need some time off." He frowned and fidgeted in his seat. "I've barely seen you this last couple of weeks."

It is what happen when you date a doctor, she wanted to rebut, but it would remind them of the same impasse they've had since the beginning. Zoe had few nights off, and George had to socialize with New York's elite in order to keep climbing up the ladder of law business. She generally couldn't go with him, and the nights off, she'd rather stay in and eat take-out so her swollen feet could rest.

Not even bothering to answer his clearly accusatory comment, Zoe only treated herself with another bite of delicious food before telling him, "My residency is almost over, so I should get a vacation of sorts."

He nodded contently. "Good. Then I'll make a few calls tomorrow and we should be on our way soon."

"Soon," she repeated with some tiredness.

At first the similarities between them had seemed a blessing. They were much focused in their careers, and understood the ambition and hunger they had for success, but that understanding suddenly made them fall into a rut. Zoe loved George, but she couldn't remember the last time he had forced her to don a nice dress and have a late night out, dancing… well, he didn't dance because as most lawyers apparently, George had two left feet. And she had to admit that his agreeable nature unnerved her at times, even if she got away with almost everything.

That night they were at Per Se because her mother had forced them to take her reservations. It was all paid for. It wasn't as if they were cheapskates, but when something like expensive dinner was free, you took it. And even if her mother didn't quite like George's placid nature, she supported her decision. And, anyway, who partied harder than Candice Hart? Sure not Zoe!

"Do you think your mom wants to come with us?"

Zoe had to press a hand over her mouth not to splutter her food all over George and the table.

"You _want_ to invite her?"

"I just thought-"

She snorted a laugh, scoffing. "No. She won't ever set foot ten miles around a cow. Besides, I kind of thought it was something between you and me. A getaway."

"Right. Sure," George replied nervously, straightening his tie. "I just thought it would be nice."

Yeah. Yup, Zoe knew he realized Candice didn't really like him, but he was trying too hard, and her mother thought that was even worse. She often told her he was so sweet it was sickening. Zoe had other perception of things. After all, her parents had split up almost twenty years before, so they clearly had all the wrong ideas about relationships and commitment.

What Zoe and George had was good. _Great_. It was great! _Just great_. Which was why she couldn't understand the reasons they were having such a hard time finding time to spend together – and she really didn't feel like making the effort. By the looks of it, George felt the same way, but there wasn't a way to find out, considering she avoided conflict as much as possible. She firmly believed that by not fighting, they could keep a stable and healthy relationship. That, combined with George's nature, kept them like a very happy yet dull couple.

Proof of the rut they had fallen into was the simple ritual of going to bed at night.

They had rented a beautiful little apartment in Midtown with a nice view and not very far from their jobs. She had taken some time decorating it and making quite relaxing shopping trips to Pottery Barn – since she gave up once they bought a bookshelf at Ikea and George had never made the time to put it together and after her failed attempts, well, she ended up throwing the thing away. Still, she loved it, but sometimes it felt as if she lived there alone. George just let himself be dragged by her flow – he hated making big decisions like what color their kitchen should be or if he liked the new coasters or not.

So when he asked if she wanted to spend a couple of weeks away in BlueBell, Zoe was understandably weary. But she had to go with him. She barely knew his family and he spoke so highly of the tiny town in _nowhere_ Alabama, that it was the least she could do. The only problem was she had forgotten to mention she hadn't gotten the position in the internship for cardiothoracic surgery. And yes, she had _just_ forgotten, and by the time she remembered it, she was afraid to turn around in bed and tell him. George could've been sleeping.

She would need to figure her next step soon. But she had all the time in the world, considering they were about to travel south and, who knew? Things could change for the better. Right? _Right?!_

[…]

"A truck?" Zoe mumbled, a little surprised to see that red massive pick-up truck waiting for them outside Mobile's airport. "Are we getting on that thing?"

George grinned like a child in front of a long awaited Christmas present. She could tell he missed this, the sun and driving around. In New York he never saw the sun unless it hid between skyscrapers. And driving was a big no if he wanted to be in time anywhere, plus they didn't have a parking spot.

Some guy in washed black jeans that had obviously seen better times, work boots with scuffed toes and a white cotton tee was leaning against the side of the monstrous and slightly frightening pick-up truck. He seemed as tall as George, but the wiry built and sun-kissed skin that contrasted against his dark blonde hair and deep green eyes. The white self-sufficient smile on his face only helped him to look like the poster boy for some macho brand, like cigarettes or trucks or whatever. She wasn't good at picking up those things. Zoe was good at noticing he was handsome though.

George snickered before letting go of his suitcase and approaching the young Clint Eastwood _wannabe _to hug him, slapping him twice in the back and exchanging a few greetings.

"I thought you would appreciate the gesture of having the old truck back," _cowboy_ said, as he stood straighter with his hands in the pockets of his pants.

George chuckled. "Wow, this – yes! It's been so long. I'd love to drive this beauty." He glided a hand along the fender and smiled. For the first time in a couple of months, Zoe could tell George felt genuinely happy, but she wasn't sure what this was all about.

"Mind telling me what's going on here?" she interrupted and both men turned to face her. For some ludicrous reason, the stranger's stare felt heavier on her than George's.

"Oh, sure. Of course." George moved closer to her and then introduced them. "Wade, this is Zoe Hart, doctor and my beautiful girlfriend. Zoe, this is Wade Kinsella, one of my oldest friends in BlueBell and bartender at the _finest_ establishment in town. And that! That's my truck." He seemed enamored with the vehicle that to her it looked like it belonged to a country song video.

Wade smirked again when he outstretched his hand for her to shake it. "Yankee girl. Oh, well, that'll be interesting, Miss City Doctor."

She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling a sudden surge of anger. "Yes, well, not everyone can stay around and practice techniques on how to tip a cow."

George's cheeks tinted pink as he laughed awkwardly. Meanwhile, Wade laughed whole-heartedly, clearly enjoying her response.

"Yeah. We cow-tippers are like that. We enjoy a cold beer and a butt free of sticks." She gaped at his reply, but before she could come up with a better answer, Wade was loading their bags in the bed of the truck. "Now, if the Doc is ready, we should leave. I have a shift about to start and if we don't get there on time, cows might not be easy to push."

Funnily enough, George seemed to be flustered enough not to intervene in the bickering. He just asked for the keys and wondered if the road was just like he remembered. He didn't even care to squeeze her between him and his old friend Wade – and she soon realized Wade didn't care to sit with his legs a little more tightly closed. For a moment she wanted to ask if he had a problem between his legs that didn't allow him to keep them together, but she soon refrained herself from saying that aloud, afraid of what he could tell her.

She flushed from head to toe when she started to notice that Wade's presence overpowered George's. She blamed it to the strong smell of woodsy aftershave and grass or dirt, maybe even sweat. At her left, she could barely smell George's Armani Code, and he wasn't paying attention to her, so they must've been even. How could anyone love a truck so much?

"So for how long are you going to be in town?" Wade asked. He had his elbow propped on the passenger door, the window rolled down and the warm breeze carrying in his scent with more persistence than before.

She was about to reply that only a few days, when George merrily answered, "Two weeks."

"Two weeks?" she squeaked and Wade snorted a laugh.

George glanced her way, brow furrowed. "You said you had all that time off, so I thought you told me that to schedule them on our trip."

Wade made a rude noise, mocking her.

She wasn't very fond of the guy, and much less now.

Zoe pursed her lips and pulled the fakest smile she could. "That's okay. I have the time." And she did, considering she had to find a new job – preferably as a family doctor to improve her bedside manners apparently if she wanted any chance at getting that internship next time.

"So when's the party, because I have a few things to work out to have time-" Wade said next, and before he could finish, George glared at him that way he always did when something wasn't happening according to his plans. It always amused Zoe to see his lips pressed tightly together and his cheeks popping out as if he were a four year old about to scream and demand something.

"Party?"

George snickered guiltily. "It's just a welcome party. My parents wanted to do a little something."

"And they rented the old Chapman Farm House for that?" Wade babbled, but one more look from George shut him up. "Gee, sorry. Seems New York did a number on you."

As they neared the town, Zoe watched with some strange dread and disgust how extremely _lovely_ the place was. Houses were well-kept with perfect front yards and full of flowers and colors everywhere. People moved at incredible slow speed, and there were available parking spaces, children playing on the streets and old people gallivanting around. It was the opposite of New York, considering she had only seen a couple of buildings over two stories.

"Welcome to BlueBell," George said as a smile split his face in two.

She swore she tried to smile, but perhaps she didn't manage to do it, because Wade leaned closer to her and told her, "First couple of drinks are on me."

She might've started to like him after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who followed, fav'ed and especially to those who took time to review. I know I said the chapters would be longer, but I'm setting the background here. You can always tell me what you think.  
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><p><em><strong>Away From Nothing<strong>_

_**-2/?-**_

Apparently BlueBell was such a small town there was only one B&B, and it wasn't like the ones you saw on the Travel Channel. Yes, it was small and had the flowery bedspreads, but the similarities ended there. Zoe felt trapped in that place. It felt like everyone was watching her every move. And she had to admit that if this was how celebrities felt, then she was glad she didn't have any of those talents.

"I'm meeting Harry for breakfast," George announced with a feeble smile.

"What?" Zoe's eyes widened until it seemed her eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. It was enough to scare George. He frowned and crinkled his nose when she spoke in the shrilly voice she used whenever she was panicking. "You're leaving me alone?"

"For a few minutes."

"_Here?!_" she hissed. "Why? What've I done to upset you so you leave me at the mercy of Dash?"

George snickered.

Since their arrival, people seemed quite interested in getting to know Zoe and get a little glimpse of their _glamorous_ lives in the Big Apple - if only Chinese and Thai take-out were as sophisticated as they thought.

Zoe wasn't used to socializing, especially considering how close and insistent BlueBellians could be. She had clarified for him that if she had to comment once more about Broadway and one of its shows, her head would explode. There was no point in telling her that the novelty would wear off, because it probably wouldn't.

"You could go to The Butter Stick and get a coffee?"

Zoe seemed to mellow at the mere mention of coffee. Since she had finished her residency, she seemed to miss the chaos surrounding her. George couldn't really blame her, considering she had been working and studying non-stop for a few years now. Her only hobbies were shopping and… well, he liked to think that spending time with him also counted as an activity outside work she enjoyed. He certainly did.

"I could use a cup of coffee. And a cupcake," she babbled as she got out of bed.

George was fastening his watch around his wrist, watching her as she moved around the room. He smiled, thinking that he actually felt comfortable with her. Zoe knew how much success meant and like him, she also enjoyed helping people, though she generally forgot the names of her patients and only told him about the procedures. But still.

"Have a nice breakfast!" George told her before leaving the room.

"You too. I guess I'll meet your family this afternoon?"

He chuckled. "Yes. _Yes_. You know they love you already, so we'll have a wonderful time."

"_Ha_! It's all because of your mother." Zoe was about to get in the adjoining bathroom, when she stopped. "But your niece won't be there, right? You know I'm terrible with kids and – I just don't want to disappoint anyone today. Maybe another day?"

He snickered. "You're just nervous. Kids love you." George smiled at her one last time and then left.

Zoe grimaced. "Yeah, right. Tell that to the last kid who puked on me," she babbled to herself as she got into the shower. "And I just asked him his name!"

[…]

First impressions were very important. Zoe knew this since she was very young. It was something her mother had taught her, and over the years she had learned it was an undisputable truth. For example, when she had met George's parents a few months before, she had bought a new dress and spent good money on a mani-pedi. Clora had loved it, and during dinner she kept asking about where she went shopping and her stylist. Harold didn't care much, but he didn't dislike her either.

Now that she was about to meet the rest of George's family, she had decided to dress up a bit, even if it was a small get-together according to him. Unfortunately, she didn't know what the proper etiquette was for that in Alabama. She certainly hoped her burgundy dress received approval, because she loved how it felt – the fabric was just enough to keep her cool under the merciless heat.

Zoe gave the final touches to her hair, curling it in soft waves, and then checked her makeup in the mirror one more time.

"Are you ready?" George complained from the room.

It wasn't her problem if he had been ready for the last half-hour. Girls took a lot of time not because they needed more work on their looks, but because some were slightly insecure. Zoe knew she always second-guessed everything.

He was checking his watch one more time, seemingly very entertained with how the second hand moved.

"Okay, let's go." Zoe grabbed her purse, while jumping around in one foot as she got her shoes on.

"Finally. I don't want to be late."

"We're not riding your truck, are we?" she asked, smoothing the skirt as they left the room.

George threw her a look. He seemed taken-aback by her question. "Well, yes. How else are we going to get there?" He furrowed his brow, honestly confused.

Zoe blinked up at him, but said nothing.

She obviously ignored how useful a truck could be. She mostly worried that her dress would be very impractical if she had to climb up the truck. Until then, she had never ride one – and the first time she got in had been embarrassing enough so Wade had gotten a good laugh out of it before grabbing her and unceremoniously _dumping _her in the seat. But as they said, practice makes perfect, so she guessed after a couple of times, she would get the hang of climbing up a truck without flashing anyone. That was not the day.

As they drove, Zoe started to appreciate the beauty and calm of the small town. The air smelt different, and if at first it was _funny_, now she understood it was the mix of humidity and nature – of course sometimes was just manure, as George confessed sheepishly. It was like going through detox, not feeling the stress or the pressure of constant movement, of always having somewhere to be.

As they approached the old farmhouse, Zoe realized it was like the country version of a mansion. Probably just as expensive as her mom's condo and, more likely than not, about four times its size plus the massive gardens. When she got out of the truck, she heard the soft music and the murmur of people chattering. Suddenly a wave of dread washed over her. George had never told her about the reason why his family was going to have a reunion. Panic told her that maybe he had forgotten an important detail, like it was one of his parents' birthday or something.

"Do you mind telling me why we are here?" Zoe asked him in a frantic whisper while they walked through the house, towards the backyard. Everything is decorated with flowers, which is stupid because she can see them _growing_ right outside and, why would anyone think they need to put them in a vase just five feet away?

George smiled. "For you to meet my family."

She scoffed. "I doubt they would come to a party only to meet your girlfriend." And seriously, her own father hadn't made time to meet him and sometimes called him John – she had to admit that half of the time she got tired of correcting him and played along with him, calling her boyfriend John as well.

"Well, obviously you underestimate family ties."

Curiosity, he must mean. They probably couldn't wait to see her fail in something very easy for them. Like, what if they asked her to ride a horse? Like all girls, she wanted a pony back when she was eight, but she grew out of it, and she was sort of afraid of horses.

She just painted the best smile she could on her face and beamed at everyone when Harold introduced them. Harry was there with his wife and she could see them in a corner as Grace tried to clean his tie, probably stained with one of the appetizers. Around them, the little devil that was George's niece ran around them in circles.

But ignoring the looks, the heavy accent of a few of George's relatives, and the almost scary way in which all of them smiled, Zoe thought it was a great party.

After mingling for almost an hour, a platinum blonde, slender woman approached her. She looked like the mix of a model and a housewife from a 50's movie, which was a little bizarre since she could pull it off.

"Why, hello," the woman said in an overly chirpy voice that fired all the alarms in Zoe's head. She didn't know why but she felt threatened somehow. She soon found out she had a good reason for that. "I'm Lemon Breeland, proud owner of BlueBell's best restaurant: Fancie's. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. Clora talks so highly of you, and I can tell George is happy."

Zoe giggled nervously. "Thank you. It's good to meet you too." She shook her head to clear her mind before asking. "Are you family or – sorry, it's just so many people."

"Oh, don't worry. I understand. It took me a couple of weeks to memorize all the names of Georgie's cousins, but I'm sure you'll… _try_." Lemon pursed her lips with some disdain, and soon Zoe figured out why. "I'm George's ex, so technically, I was almost family."

Zoe flinched and paled.

So this was the girl he left before going to New York, the one he had dated for years. This was the girl who held most of his first and the one that according to George baked the most delicious pies he had ever tasted – way to make her feel special considering Zoe could barely boil water.

"Oh. I'm sorry. This must be awkward." For Zoe certainly was, but Lemon looked unfazed.

"No! You don't know how much my life improved since George and I broke up. It forced me to focus on my goals, build a career and be an entrepreneur. Before I was just aiming to be a housewife and now I have my restaurant, a blog, I write a column for Southern Homes and I'm about to launch a line of organic jams."

"Wow."

"A little empire," she added and then cackled.

"But that's nothing compared to a doctor, right? I'm sure you're very successful."

Zoe felt sick.

Successful? No. Not really. She had lost the fellowship and hadn't found an alternative plan, which pretty much reduced her possibilities to zero. Her paycheck was minimal because she was still a student and her mother paid for almost half of her things – half of the rest was paid for her father.

Still she smiled as bright as she could. Thankfully for her, at that moment the waiters started to cater champagne glasses, and she readily grabbed two, downing one in one gulp and smiling at Lemon, as the blonde only held her glass.

"Thirsty?"

"You could say that," Zoe replied chuckling.

They both heard the sharp clink when George touched a spoon to his glass of champagne and called for everyone's attention. He laughed in that cute way he always did, the one Zoe thought charming and endearing.

"Well, firstly, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today. I know you probably did it for the free food, but it's nice to know you at least remember me." A few chuckled, but most just smiled – it wasn't a very funny joke anyway, but Zoe did a little snorting sound to support him. "I'm very happy to see my family together, as I've missed you. After leaving for New York, things have change but as they say, the distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Zoe relaxed and this time her smile was sincere. It was clear that she would never get big families, because she had barely seen a couple of cousins a handful of times in her life, and her grandparents all lived away and weren't very affectionate.

"But my stay in New York has also allowed me to meet a very important person for me. My girlfriend, Zoe Hart," George motioned in her way and she did a little wave as people turned to see her. "She's become a pillar for me and I will never be able to thank her enough for her emotional support. She might be the only reason why I haven't come back running." He chuckled, but this time Zoe thought she felt some people glaring at her – particularly Lemon.

"And now I've brought her to my birth place." George continued. "Now she can meet the marvelous people I grew up with, and you can meet her too. Hopefully over the years, you will fall in love with her as I have."

Zoe's smile faltered and then she suddenly got it. The family. The surprise. The party. George's secret meetings with his brother. His urgency. _No. No. No!_

But he did. George pulled a square box from the pocket of his dress pants and popped it open. She could only make out the spark of the stone on the ring from her place, and she really didn't want to look twice in his direction. She just wanted him to stop. He had to shut up. They had to talk about it first. Why hadn't he told her?

Little by little, her grin grew to manic proportions.

"Zoe, I ask you here, in front of my _whole _family." George smiled, and the sweet and handsome smile looked to her like a trap. She felt her stomach flip-flopping, but it wasn't out of happiness. "Would you like to become my wife?"

She couldn't breathe. Her hands felt clammy and she felt like having a heart attack. It was a panic attack, but she couldn't stop it as she tried to open her mouth to speak. Zoe couldn't stop smiling, until she miraculously did, and lifting a finger as if to ask for a moment, she rested her glass of champagne on a tray some waiter was holding.

Licking her lips, she tried to speak again, but when no words came out, she turned around a bolted out. She didn't even look back as she ran in high heels down the dirt road.

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><p><strong>I know, no Wade this chapter, but I promised there will be plenty in the next one ;)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took me a little longer but this chapter is also longer. Am I forgiven? Tell me what you think!  
><strong>

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><p><em><strong>Away From Nothing<strong>_

**-3/?-**

Her feet hurt. Her skin felt a bit prickly after jumping behind the bushes whenever she heard a car coming down the road. She was hoping she hadn't touched anything poisonous or at least not to have an allergic reaction to _nature_. After all, she had to admit she wasn't very outdoorsy. In fact, she had never even as much as thought about camping. Her idea of an adventure was jogging through Central Park.

Huffing one more time, Zoe wondered how much she would need to walk until she found the town again. In reality, she thought about _a_ town. _Any town_. Even a gas station or something, because she was feeling the imperious need to pee and she didn't want anything to literally bite her in the ass.

"Why?!" she moaned while her feet wobbled. She had no idea how long she had been walking, but it felt like she was just about to pass out. At this point she no longer cared if George found her – even if she was dreading the possibility of dealing with the consequences of her escape. It wasn't as if she had become a runaway bride – she didn't even feel like a runaway fiancée, since she hadn't said yes to him.

A car honked behind her.

A while ago she had decided that walking down the middle of the road was better, since no cars were coming and the idea of her body ditched on the side of a rural road didn't seem quite appealing – at least this way they would find her sooner. Perhaps George would cry and regret putting her in the spotlight, or maybe he would be thankful she wouldn't be the cause of shame again. In reality, what did he expect when he proposed out of the blue? She didn't want to get married. At least not then! Maybe with time. In a year or two. Perhaps if she got her fellowship…

The car honked again, but she had already moved.

"What the hell!" She harrumphed and turned around, ready to throw her expensive Jimmy Choo at the offender when she realized she knew the jerk behind the wheel of this particular muscle car. "Great. Just great," she mumbled under her breath.

Wade drove very slowly next to her, rolling down the window to look at her. She was covered in dust from head to toe. Her hair looked sticky with sweat, her fancy dress was crumpled and, well, yes. She still looked _delicious_. He had to admit that from the moment he saw her standing next to George at the airport, he had wondered if there was a small chance she was just Tucker's friend, and so he could take her for a ride around town. If you catch his drift.

"Party ended early?"

She glared at him for a few seconds, but then leaned forward to see him eye to eye. "I need a ride to town."

He scoffed. "And now I've become your chauffer, Miss Daisy?" She rolled her eyes. "What? You ran out of wine or champagne and sent you to get some?"

"No!"

"Didn't like the food?"

"That's not-"

"The music too hillbilly for you?"

"I'm not-"

"The talk about cows bored you out," he provided smirking.

"Wade!" Zoe shouted and he just stared at her. "Shut up. Shut up for one second. Just, just take me away from here."

"I'm taking you nowhere until you tell me what the hell is going on."

Zoe breathed in deeply, trying for the umpteenth time to regain her composure around Wade Kinsella, but it seemed it was almost impossible. He had a way to get under her skin. His mere presence was enough to irk her. And now, here he was. The _only_ person she could ask help to. It seemed like it was just her luck.

"I ran away," Zoe muttered impassively. "George proposed and I ran off." Zoe raised her arms and let them fall at her sides in defeat. There was no purpose in hiding it from him, since he would sooner than later find out. Wade was one of George's longtime friends.

His mouth started to form an O very slowly as each word sank in. His eyebrows curved, but not in the worried or upset fashion she'd hoped. Wade looked amused – and slightly happy, if she had to look for a word to describe it.

"Oh, well, then hop on, little bushwhacker. You look like you could use a drink."

"Or four," she mumbled as she got inside the hideous monstrosity that was Wade's muscle car – even worse than George's pickup truck. And she refused to let herself feel like in a cheesy teen movie about to jump in the back seat of a muscle car with the school's Casanova.

She glanced Wade's way and he was smirking when he caught her. Blushing was the worst possible reaction, but she had no say in it. Her body seemed to insist on betraying her.

"So…" Wade drawled. He clearly wanted details – the juicy gossip that would round around town as soon as word was out.

"He sneaked up on me! _Okay_?" Zoe snapped before he could even utter another word.

Wade almost jumped in his seat. For a pint-sized doctor, she was pretty loud and bossy – and it certainly only added some brownie points in her favor.

"Gee, why don't you rip my head off, Doc? Easier than screaming it off."

"Sorry," she pouted, which obviously made Wade snicker. "But it's the truth. I mean, how am I supposed to know he invited me here to this godforsaken town in the middle of nowhere – no offense."

"None taken." Wade certainly realized for her those words weren't intended to be an insult. No matter how rude it was. He generally did the same, so he didn't really mind at the moment.

"To propose? _Propose!_ As if it wasn't already overwhelming to be around his family, including his high-strung mother." Zoe sighed. "We never talked about it! He never dropped a hint. And believe me, the last thing in my to-do list is getting a wedding dress. I'm focused on my career and I thought he was too, but-"

She kept on babbling a mile a minute, waving her arms as she complained with exaggeration. Meanwhile, Wade was struggling to reach for the six-pack he had left in the back seat for when he got home and played video games – his unwinding ritual after a long day.

"And so I only ran. Marriage is a big thing, and everyone gets it wrong. I don't want that."

Wade shoved a bottle in her hands, and without even taking a breath, Zoe opened it, took a swig and kept on talking. It was a little impressive.

"Eh, marriage is easy. I was married."

Zoe sprayed the mouthful of beer before choking with laughter and gaping at him. "You?"

"Watch the upholstery!" Wade chided. "And yeah, it was stupid and impulsive, but it wasn't hard."

"You're divorced," Zoe narrowed her eyes at him, a somewhat bored expression that meant to say _I knew it_.

"Annulled, actually." Wade shrugged. "We were pretty drunk."

"Shocking," Zoe said, but her tone implied exactly the opposite. "It would've never crossed my mind that you could do a thing like that, but then again everyone does it. My mother cheated on my dad. My dad _also_ cheated on my mom. They got divorced, as all couples do."

"That's a pretty cynical view, Doc."

"Please, you can't seriously believe in romance and love and happy endings." Zoe scoffed. "Look at you! I bet you've probably been running out of houses in the middle of the night or half-naked-"

"Butt-naked, but that's not the point."

Zoe snorted a laugh. A very ungraceful and unladylike snort, that made her giggle and cover her mouth with one hand. She had already downed one beer and Wade soon handed her another.

"What's the point then?"

He stopped the car and looked at her intently. "Just because things don't work out with one, two or ten people in our lives, that doesn't mean that for some there's that one person that turns everything upside down. And then you lose your head and heart."

Zoe got lost in that small smile, and the tenderness that had found room in Wade's expression. There's was longing there, and sadness. All that made him look younger and far more innocent than he should've had. Besides, it was probably the beer talking – she hadn't eaten in a few hours and there was nothing in her stomach to soak up the alcohol.

"And meanwhile, I'm enjoying the ride," Wade finished suddenly. "Having a lot of fu-"

"_What_?!" Zoe screeched in outrage.

"Fun. What the hell, Z?"

"No!" she hissed and slid down the seat, hiding herself from anyone who could see her from the outside. She also dragged Wade down. "_That_," she pointed towards the entrance of the Rammer Jammer, where George was in very good company.

"Oh." Wade muttered as his furrowed brow gave room to mischief. "_Oh_. Lemon and George. Guess it's pretty hard to get over about ten years of relationship."

Zoe whipped her head to look at him. "Beg your pardon?"

He looked at her confused. "George didn't tell you about her?"

"He did. And _she_ did today, as well. But he never told me he had been with her for that long. George only said it had been an important relationship in his life."

"Yeah! Like ten years and engagement ring on her finger right until he refused to come back to BlueBell two years ago," Wade explained, speaking in a hushed voice as they still were huddled near the floor of his car. "She threw her ring to the creek, and people are still trying to find it. Tucker is a big spender."

Zoe's mouth was opened in shock, as she tried to take a peek at her would-have-been fiancé. "He never said that."

Wade smirked. "Do you think he proposed with the same ring?"

She swatted at him. "Shut up."

They were in silence for a while, with Zoe mulling over this new information and feeling a little less guilty as time went by. George wasn't looking for her, and in fact he was sat there with his old flame probably talking about how Lemon hadn't run away the time he proposed.

"Doc, my leg is cramped, can I sit up now? I'm hungry and in dire need of a beer. Aren't you?"

Zoe turned to him, glaring, but when her stomach grumbled, she heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yes. I could eat a pound or two of fries and maybe a burger."

Wade chuckled. "I'll go get some." He reached to open the door, but she stopped him again. "Don't worry. I work here. I'll use the back entrance and be out in a minute."

[…]

"It's really pretty out here."

Wade snorted a laugh when Zoe spoke around the clearly too big bite of burger she had taken. She was also much content with her wine instead of beer. She did complain about the lack of _good _wine, but she was thankful for allowing her to drink the bottle he had saved for special occasions.

And indeed, it was a nice night. Cool breeze ran around the plantation, and the sky was clear enough so the stars reflected on the surface of the pond in front of them. As they sat there in a pair of Adirondack chairs, food in one hand and drinks in the other, it was easy to appreciate the place. The gentle rustle of leaves was a lulling sound, white noise to calm them down.

"We don't get this in New York," she said wistfully, after washing down her food with some red wine. The words were slightly slurred, but Wade assumed she was okay now. At least better than how he had found her.

"Don't say."

She glared at him, but it wasn't as charged as before. She could be mellow if she wanted – or after copious amounts of alcohol.

A frog croaked, and once again she whipped her head around looking for the culprit. Wade laughed. She was such a city girl.

"So this is the Plantation?" She asked and in reply he hummed. "You live here?"

"And work. Mostly doing repairs around, and keeping the place in shape. I'm talented like that."

"Aren't you cocky? I thought you worked at the Hammer Jammer?" She squinted when trying to grab a fry from the plate that was set on the arm of the chair. It took her two tries to grab one.

Wade guffawed. "_Rammer_ Jammer. And I do, but doing a little work here allows me to pay half the rent, and it's not really demanding. The owner is my friend."

"_Lady _friend?" She tried to sound teasing, but it came out a little awkward. "And by fixing things up, you mean in the bedroom?"

"No. More like high school friend. Male. And, because of that: Ew!"

She laughed at his face of honest disgust.

"Do you want me to take you back to the Whippoorwill? You must be tired and- okay, what's wrong?" Wade noticed the way she bit her lip and looked away as he spoke about taking her back to the inn.

"I don't want to go back. I don't want to see George now that I'm drunk. I need to ask for some explanations and he will ask for some others, and again, I'm not in the best condition because I'm drunk!"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Not _that_ drunk."

She glowered at him. "Yes. I am."

Wade smirked and nodded, shrugging one shoulder as he took another swig of his beer. "Fine. You're wasted which could serve as an excuse."

"George has never seen me drunk. I'm a mess. Don't tell anyone." She hissed, which only served to make the ridiculous scene even more hilarious.

Wade leaned closer to her, and in a tone that implied secrecy, he promised, "I won't, Doc." Her breath was warm and her eyes half-closed. She looked amazing under the moonlight and with her hair slightly mussed. Zoe was barefoot, her heels long forgotten in the porch. But he wasn't about to take advantage of her state, so he pulled away, regretting that perhaps he had lost his only chance to ever feel how her lips would react against his.

"May I stay here tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll take you back tomorrow." Wade sighed and pursed his lips as he looked over the pond. Things were becoming strange by the minute. He wasn't supposed to be nice to her, but then again, he rarely dealt with women who he didn't want –or couldn't – bed.

When she stood up, she wobbled in her feet.

"Woah!" Wade jumped to his feet and was quick enough to hold her before she fell face first on the dirt. "Watch your step."

"I might need a _little_ help." She squinted and then blinked rapidly at the house. "_Just_ a little, because your house is moving."

He laughed, but decided it was much easier and quicker to scoop her up and take her into the house. Zoe yelped, but it transformed into giggles and comments about how nice it was of him to be so _solicitous_. She also made pretty clear her desire of him being her official drinking partner, since he drove his own car and was strong enough to carry her.

When he sat her on his bed, he never hoped to see her starting to undress. Wade was about to be as chivalrous as he could be by letting her use his bed while he took the couch, but then she went and took her dress off – even asking him to unzip her.

"Um, Doc, don't you want to wear something to sleep? I-"

"Ooh!" she exclaimed, happily beaming at him. "Have a shirt I could borrow?"

He wasn't really implying that, but Wade agreed. He lent her a gray t-shirt that reached her thighs and then she sneaked under the covers. She fluffed her pillow and after mumbled a couple of words. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Zoe was out.

"Well, this seems like a shitty night," Wade grumbled under his breath. "Sexy girl in my bed, but untouchable. Bought a six-pack, only drank two. And now babysitting."

"You're sexy too," Zoe babbled, half-asleep. "I'll buy you more beer…"

Wade laughed when a snore followed her words. He stripped down to his boxers, plopped down on the couch, and covered himself with a thin blanket.

[…]

His neck felt stiff, and his back sort of hurt, but it was the pounding at his door that woke him up. Well, it was more specifically on the door that lead to the porch, but still.

"Jesus," Wade wheezed out, rubbing his eyes and soon remembering where he was sleeping. He cursed and sat up. "I'm going! _Damn_."

Zoe whimpered and covered her head with the pillow. "Make it stop!" she said in a muffled voice.

Through the window Wade saw George looking pretty pissed off. He assumed it was because of Zoe and her absence, among many other things. Of course the previous day Wade had texted his friend to let him know Zoe was safe with him, but he failed to tell him she wouldn't come back at night. Anyway, Wade never thought Tucker would mind since he was getting cozy with Lemon.

"Hey, I was about to-" Wade started when he opened the door, but as soon as he had done it, a fist flew right at him, hitting him with enough strength to send him to the floor, falling flat on his ass. He was barely aware of his surroundings, since he had just woken up, so he didn't give George much credit – still, his left eye hurt like a mother. "What the hell, Tucker?"

"You slept with my fiancée!"

"What? No, I didn't!" Wade shouted back, angry about this unfounded accusation. "Besides, I reckon she didn't accept your proposal."

George pressed his lips together and looked close to throw a hissy fit.

"George!" Zoe shrieked, watching Wade standing up. His cheek was reddened and it was easy to tell it would swell and turn purple in a matter of minutes. "What are you doing?"

"He seduced you!" George pointed at Wade, and Zoe had to stop the blonde and muscular man from punching George back by placing both hands on his defined chest – it was _so wrong_ to be having these thoughts now.

"He didn't. And I didn't sleep with him. Wade just helped me out. I didn't want to go back to you last night and he let me stay here on his bed while he took the couch. Nothing happened. Plus, what do you care if you were so happy to be with Lemon while I was lost." Zoe glared at her boyfriend, but then she frowned at no one in particular. "Wait, how did you know I was here?"

George sighed, even if he looked guilty. He was partially happy it had been Zoe who changed the subject. "Wade texted me yesterday to tell me he had found you."

She turned to Wade. Glaring. "You did?"

"I didn't want him to freak out."

She was confused. It was hard to tell if she was mad or grateful about it. At least that had stopped George of looking for her and had given her time to be alone, mulling over the failed proposal.

"And now you accuse him of seducing me?" Zoe shot daggers at George. "I saw you with your ex. You tricked me into coming to your home town. We never talked about this before. I _don't _want to get married. At least not yet, but you didn't care."

"Zoe, I love you," George reminded her in a soft voice that claimed for mercy. "I apologize if this was out of the blue, but I thought-"

"No, you didn't!" Zoe heaved a sigh. "I'm not ready, and if you are… we're clearly out of synch. I need time."

George brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Zoe looked down at her feet and bit on her lip. "That. We should take some time off."

"Zoe-"

"I saw you with Lemon," Zoe continued, without really making it sound like she was blaming him. "It's obvious there're unresolved things between you two."

Wade made a sound of mockery, but he was shushed by Zoe who smacked him across the stomach.

"And there's a lot going on in my life right now. I don't need this drama. I didn't get the fellowship and now I need to find a job as a family doctor if I want a new chance. I have to tell my dad that I failed, which as you know it's not easy." Zoe licked her lips and shook her head. "I don't need this, George. My career is first. I'm sorry. I thought we were fine, and it was easy, but it's not anymore."

George looked devastated, his face had crumpled in pain, but he had tried to keep it together. "I don't know what to say. You didn't trust me to tell me your problems and… wow! I thought we were fine."

"We are!" Zoe exclaimed. "I like you!"

"No, we aren't. I _love _you and you like me. We've been living together for a while now and… maybe you're right. We should take some time off."

Zoe suddenly realized she had lost control here. She was asking for time to clear her head, while George seemed ready to break things up. He had. George frowned and walked away without another word. It was fair to ask herself if it was over between them, because it was quite confusing at the moment.

She was brought back from her reverie when Wade placed a hand over her shoulder.

Zoe looked up and smiled sadly at Wade's eye as it swelled and turned dark. He never mentioned a thing, and it was gracious of him. She didn't feel like talking more about anything.

"Do you have a steak for that eye?"

He snorted a laugh. "No. But I know someone who surely has one."

[…]

"No way! Lavon Hayes!" Zoe prattled excitedly once the friendly and extremely tall man in front or her said hi. Then she went on and on about how she had watched him a couple of times when he played as linebacker, all while unceremoniously smacking a frozen steak to Wade's eye.

Lavon only smiled and laughed, reveling in the praise.

Wade was mildly annoyed that the attention wasn't on him anymore.

"Doc, I'm sorry to tell you, but your patient here is not feeling like he's receiving the proper care."

"Oh, do tell what you think would be proper." She was teasing him, but Wade decided to play along.

"A kiss would make it better."

Lavon laughed at his cheekiness, but Zoe didn't look impressed.

"As your doctor I must say that medically, no, it wouldn't." She pressed her fingers gently around his eyes, checking to see if his cheek was broken. He hissed, but the pain wasn't so bad. He'd had his fair share of black eyes in his life and this wasn't the worst.

"Placebo effect?"

Zoe laughed, shaking her head. "Nope."

He tried to come up with something more, but he came up empty. "Well, at least I tried."

"Big Z, I like you," Lavon said, grinning while he poured her a cup of coffee. "And if you need a place to stay, you're more than welcome to use my guest bedroom."

"Thank you."

She took a bite of a toast and started chatting with them. Wade, as per usual, poured milk in a bowl and grabbed the cereal box. When he was least expecting it, he felt soft and warm lips against his injured cheek. Zoe was so gentle, it tingled. It had to be that.

"Only to test the placebo effect," she whispered.

Wade grinned and then felt Lavon's knowing look on him. Wade rolled his eyes, but Lavon only laughed at his half-ass attempt to tame his smile.


End file.
